Sidewalk barbershops are a symbol of old Saigon. In the face of globalization and its demands for westernization, the sight of a simple chair placed beneath an awning where one can get an affordable trim just a few meters from a busy street is gradually vanishing.

“We’re going to Taipei on VietJet Air,” an acquaintance said to me. An international flight on Vietnam’s notoriously delayed airline didn’t sound like the best idea ever. But who would expect that I was set to fly to Tainan, a city on the island's southwest coast, just a few hours after the brief conversation with her. The reality was that I found it excruciatingly difficult to reject a cheap flight deal.

In full "ninja" attire, I braved congested streets under the scorching sun looking for the address. Finally, having spotted a sign that reads 'OldSchool Barbell System’ tucked deep inside Binh Thanh District, I hopped the curb, cheated my way to the destination towards a wide parking spot and prepared to enter a world secluded from the chaotic surroundings.

"Saigon in its golden age was a time to be remembered and passed down to younger generations. The vintage aesthetic trend in Vietnam has been around for a couple of years now and for me, it is a cause for celebration," owner Anh Tuyet said of the trend that has swept cafés and restaurants citywide. Thị's customers, meanwhile, are here for more than just the aesthetic.

Few people are aware that Saigon has an affordable, world-class emergency ambulance response service offering state-of-the-art treatment that begins the moment a call is placed from anywhere in the country.

Last week, Hanoi police discovered a truck packed with three tons of live cats destined for Vietnamese restaurants. After it was reported that the felines were to be destroyed in accordance with local laws, the case gathered international attention, and Vietnamese police now say they haven’t made up their minds on what to do with the animals.

Police found the smuggled cats when inspecting the truck which was parked on a Hanoi street around midnight, reported Thanh Nien citing a report in Tuoi Tre.

The truck’s driver, 30-year-old Hoang Van Hieu, said that the felines originated in China and were taken across the border to meet demand for the thriving Vietnamese cat meat market which is centered in the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Nam Dinh. According to Vietnamese law, evidence (cats in this case) recovered from smuggling operations is required to be destroyed.

Once the story hit the international press, animal rights groups, such as U.S. based Global Conservation Group, called on the Vietnamese government to give them custody of the animals. Some American veterinarians have also said that they’re willing to fly to Vietnam to examine the cats.

On Thursday, a Hanoi police officer told journalists "We have not made up our mind what to do with them" due to their large volume.

This statement has given hope to the Global Conservation Group which “says they're in the process of coordinating with local animal shelters, pounds and veterinary hospitals in the event custody of the cats is granted to them,” according to the Examiner.

The group has also contacted the Vietnamese embassy in the United States about the issue though they have yet to receive a response.